Jake Dennis is the first winner of the twelfth Formula E season. After failing to beat Wehrlein's fastest lap in the final qualifying session but still starting from first place due to a penalty for the German, Dennis became the first Formula E driver ever to win from pole position in Sao Paulo. A great birthday present for his team boss Roger Griffiths.

The race was an up and down in the rankings for every driver. Just like last year, it was a very strategic race due to the high energy consumption on the high-speed track. Jake Dennis was also only in 9th place at times, but was able to move back into the top three with his first attack mode and put himself in the best possible starting position.

Lucky with the second attack mode

After the safety car came out on track in the final third of the race following an accident between Edoardo Mortara and Lucas di Grassi, Dennis had a significant advantage over the competition. In third place, he was the only driver with an attack mode open until eighth-placed Felipe Drugovich. He was therefore able to use the extra power to move back up to first place immediately after the restart.

The time window was marginal - he should not have activated attack mode any later. Even before his minutes with the extra power and all-wheel drive ran out, a full-course yellow and Pepe Marti's horror crash occurred. The race was interrupted with a red flag and finally reopened for a final lap. Jake Dennis was able to confidently pull away and win.

Birthday present for team principal Griffiths

Andretti team boss Roger Griffiths will have been particularly pleased. He celebrated his birthday today and Dennis dedicated his victory to him immediately after the win: "It's my boss' birthday, so happy birthday to him! It's my race engineer's birthday tomorrow. Now I don't have to get any more presents!"

The last race Jake Dennis won was in season 10, at the beginning of 2023 in Saudi Arabia. He attributed the fact that it finally worked out again today to an outstanding team performance: "Good strategy, good car and good position on the track when we needed it. The first attack mode was decisive at the time we took it. After that, it looked like we were sure to win!"

An outstanding result for Dennis and the end of a long dry spell for the Briton. Andretti also leads the teams' standings, but is level on points with Porsche. On 10 January 2026 in Mexico, they will therefore be the ones to beat.